Two Small Asteroids Buzz Earth in One-Two Punch

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Two small asteroids zipped close by Earth in back-to-back flybys
of the planet Monday (May 28) and today. While both space rocks
came well within the moon's orbit, they posed no danger to our
planet, NASA scientists say.

The newfound
asteroid 2012 KP24 zoomed by Earth Monday (May 28), coming
within 32,000 miles (51,000 kilometers) on its closest approach,
according to astronomers at NASA's Asteroid Watch at the agency's
Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.

"We'll have a close but very safe pass of asteroid 2012 KP24 May
28," scientists with NASA's Asteroid Watch program assured via
Twitter.

Asteroid Watch is part of the Near-Earth Object Office at NASA's
Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. The NEO office
oversees the agency's efforts to detect, track and characterize
potentially dangerous asteroids or comets that could zoom
close to Earth.

The recently discovered asteroid 2012 KP24 measures approximately
69 feet (21 meters) across and did not pose any threat to Earth
during its flyby, NASA scientists said.

But this space rock is not the only one that paid a close visit
to our planet this week.

Another small asteroid, called 2012 KT42, flew past Earth early
today (May 29). The
asteroid came within 8,950 miles (14,400 km) on its closest
approach, which easily fits between the Earth and moon's orbit.
For comparison, the moon typically circles Earth at a distance of
about 240,000 miles (386,000 km).

While asteroid 2012 KT42 was only discovered yesterday, the space
rock did not pose any impact threat Earth when it made its
closest approach at 3:07 a.m. EDT (0707 GMT), NASA scientists
said.

The small space rock is only about 16 feet (5 m) wide, which
means it would not pack much of a punch even if it did hit the
planet, according to astronomer Tony Phillips on his website
Spaceweather.com,
which monitors major space weather and skywatching events.

"Even if it did hit, this space rock is too small to cause
significant damage," Phillips wrote. "It would likely
disintegrate almost entirely in the atmosphere, peppering the
ground below with relatively small meteorites."

Astronomers with NASA and other organizations regularly scan the
skies in search of potentially dangerous near-Earth objects.

Experts estimate that space rocks that measure about 460 feet
(140 m) across or larger could cause widespread devastation if
they impact the planet. A much larger asteroid, however, would be
required to cause destruction on a global scale.

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